Nigeria: Lake Chad Basin: Crisis Update 7

Regional Highlights

• The results of the mid-August Cadre Harmonisé food security assessment in north-eastern Nigeria reveal a considerable deterioration of food security, with more than 4.4 million people estimated to be facing “crisis” and “emergency” levels. At least 65 000 people are experiencing famine-like conditions1 . The current figures represent a 50 per cent increase compared to the March 2016 projection, which estimated that 3 million people were at crisis level and above.
• Since the first cross-border aid delivery from Cameroon to Nigeria’s Banki town in July, UN agencies and MSF have continued to provide food aid, medical assistance and basic relief items to the displaced people in Banki. Additional assistance is planned in the coming weeks.
• The Ministers of Health of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have declared the recent polio outbreak in Nigeria a public health emergency for the Lake Chad Basin countries. The declaration calls on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin countries to urgently and fully implement coordinated responses to stem the outbreak before the end of the year and prevent international spread.
• Beyond the humanitarian needs stemming from the conflict involving Boko Haram, the countries in the Lake Chad Basin are currently facing significant flood risks. In Nigeria alone, 7 million people in 12 States are reported at risk.
• The UN and its partners in July issued a 90-day plan summarizing the immediate humanitarian needs of 9 million people in the Lake Chad Basin and requesting US$221.5 million, including US$96.7 million for food security, for the period July to September 2016. The plan requests US$164.1 million for Nigeria, US$26 million for Cameroon, US$16.6 million for Chad and US$14.8 million for Niger.

Humanitarian Needs

Population movement

• Cameroon’s Logone and Chari department in the Far North region is the most affected by violence, insecurity and displacement. The number of displaced people in Logone and Chari continued to increase over the last few months, from 110,000 in June-July to around 150,000 in August.
• Increased insecurity and large military operations in Chad have led to new population displacement and limited humanitarian action in some areas. In the Lac region, there are some 125,000 displaced people, including 6,500 refugees.

Protection

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Chaloka Benyani, conducted a four-day visit to Nigeria. Mr Benyani met with Government officials, UN agencies and NGOs and visited several IDP camps in Borno State. He pointed out that the situation constituted a major national emergency, the scale of which was only just beginning to be revealed as people flee or are forced to leave newly-liberated areas by security forces.
• The Boko Haram-related violence has the strongest impact on children. An estimated 568,000 children across Lake Chad will suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), according to UNICEF. In north-eastern Nigeria alone, almost half a million children are suffering from SAM.
• From 22 to 23 August, OCHA Niger and UNHCR collaborated in training Niger defence and security forces on humanitarian principles and the protection of civilians in conflict.

Food Insecurity

• Around 65,000 people in newly-inaccessible areas in Borno and Yobe states are experiencing famine-like conditions (Phase 5), according to the latest “Cadre Harmonisé” assessment. Malnutrition and mortality rates are also high, while access to health facilities and humanitarian assistance is limited. In addition, more than 1 million people in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe are facing emergency food insecurity (Phase 4), and about 3.3 million more are in crisis (Phase 3).
• In August, WFP, MSF and IOM delivered more than 400 metric tons of food, basic household relief items and medicine to 25,000 IDPs who had been cut off from aid since last year in Nigeria’s border town of Banki. Food continues to be delivered to Banki by truck from Cameroon, while other relief items are being brought by UNHAS helicopter from Nigeria. However, ongoing rains are complicating road access to Banki via Cameroon. Humanitarian actors are exploring the possibility of using helicopters.
• In Chad, food assistance by WFP and its partners in August benefitted over 128,000 people in 47 displacement sites and the Dar-es-Salam refugee camp. In parallel, blanket feeding benefitted over 12,000 children. WFP continues its cash transfer programme in five sites around Bol to 10,283 people.